I'm pleased to welcome Nancy J. Cohen to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Nancy writes the Keri Armstrong Mystery series. MURDER PAYS A CALL is the first book in the series and was released Earlier this month.
Kathy: You start a new series with MURDER PAYS A CALL. What led you to create the Keri Armstrong Mystery series?
NJC: I wanted to do something different from my long-running series, the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. Keri appealed to me, and so did the Central Florida locale now that I live here. I can explore new places and have new adventures in the name of research.
Kathy: Keri is a personal concierge. Heaven knows I could use one! What made you choose this career for your protagonist?
NJC: LOL! I could use one, too! That’s why I chose her career. We could all use the help if we could afford it. In this role Keri can take on any job in any setting, which is a great setup for a sleuth. Her tasks vary as much as her clients. She has lots of connections around town, too, which will help with her investigations.
Kathy: The victim, and Keri's favorite client, left behind a trail of frenemies. Did you, or do you, have what could be considered frenemies? Or anyone who’d happily skip your memorial brunch?
NJC: I’ve fallen out with a few friends in the past. I was probably more upset by the breakups than they were. You learn who’s a true friend when people turn away from you for unclear or minor reasons.
Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries?
NJC: I liked the humor and the puny titles, the lighthearted approach, the focus on relationships rather than forensics, and the touch of romance. These are what I try to put into my books as well. Readers expect a certain type of read when they pick up a cozy, and so do I.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
NJC: I started out writing sci-fi/fantasy romance and have published eight books in that genre. This includes my Light-Years and Drift Lords series and a couple of standalones. I also wrote two nonfiction titles, WRITING THE COZY MYSTERY and A BAD HAIR DAY COOKBOOK.
Kathy: Tell us about your series.
NJC: In the Keri Armstrong series, Keri is a personal concierge who will accept almost any job to help make a person’s life easier. She genuinely cares about her clients, even when it comes to solving murders to ensure they receive due respect. These stories take place in Central Florida.
The Bad Hair Day Mysteries feature hairstylist Marla Vail, who solves crimes in between cutting and coloring her clients’ hair at the salon she owns in sunny South Florida. Starting out as a divorcee, she evolves into a married woman again over the course of this 18-book series. Marla has the skills and courage that I wish I had.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
NJC: In regard to Keri’s life, I’d like to meet her best friends, Lora and Pam. They are loyal and supportive, which are the kind of besties we all want to have. Lora tends to be more emotional while Pam, a reporter, is more pragmatic. They help Keri with her crime-solving activities.
Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series?
NJC: I came across mention of a personal concierge and thought it would be a great occupation for a sleuth. This role puts her into contact with a variety of customers in different settings. She has to be a good problem-solver as well being able to take care of last-minute glitches that arise with her clients. So, she has to think fast on her feet.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
NJC: I like to share my stories with readers and give them a few hours of pleasant escape. If you want serious topics, watch the news. Otherwise, pick up one of my books for a fun, light read.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
NJC: Shakespeare, Jane Austin, Barbara Cartland, and Agatha Christie.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
NJC: FLAMED OUT by Valona Jones, ROCKY ROAD TO RUIN by Meri Allen, and TO THE EASTERN SEAS by Julian Stockwin.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
NJC: Reading, watching TV (I’m partial to the Hallmark Channel and to period dramas), cruising, dining out, and visiting Disney World.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
NJC: Pantry – Peanut Butter Crackers, Cheez-Its, Trail Mix and Protein Bars - Good snacks for power outages after a storm.
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
NJC: Yes. I am currently polishing Book #19 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries titled HANUKKAH HAIRLOOM MYSTERY. Then I’ll have a new audiobook release of WRITING THE COZY MYSTERY. Once these are done, I will begin work on Keri title #2, tentatively titled MURDER AT THE MUSICAL.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
NJC: I love hearing from readers. When they ask when my next book is coming out, it makes my day. I am happy that my work is meaningful and that my stories make people smile.
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Review
The First Keri Armstrong Mystery
Running a personal concierge service Keri Armstrong helps a variety of people get things done. Whether it's simply spending time with someone in a nursing home, making travel arrangements, picking up groceries, or planning parties and events Keri and her employees do it all! Keri is looking forward to spending the morning chatting over tea and strudel with Fiona, her favorite client. She's curious as the day before Fiona said she wanted to discuss something with her, but refused to share any details over the phone. However, when Keri arrives the front door is unlocked, the house quiet. When Keri's calls go unanswered she heads upstairs only to find Fiona dead, her room in a shambles. While Keri is distraught, seeing Fiona as a friend and mentor as well as a client, she soon learns that others were not so fond of the woman, a woman who apparently held more than her share of secrets. As the police begin to investigate Keri starts to wonder who could have killed Fiona and why now, a week before her eightieth birthday, while also hoping the police don't find her a plausible suspect.
I really enjoyed the first Keri Armstrong Mystery. Keri is smart, helpful, and has an open mind. She's able to realize she may have been mistaken, even about her friend Fiona. We didn't get to learn too much about her employees, especially Staz. Purdy's social life gave me a giggle and I hope to discover more about these two in future books. I found Lora to be a bit annoying, but I liked Pam and I really enjoyed the friendship these three women share.
Nefarious dealings and red herrings added interest and complexity to the mystery. It was fascinating learning more about the various suspects and watching as various schemes started to unravel.
Strong characters and an intriguing mystery make MURDER PAYS A CALL a great start to a new series.
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Murder Pays a Call: A Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery by Nancy J Cohen
About Murder Pays A Call
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Florida
Publisher: Orange Grove Press
Publication Date: September 9, 2025
Print Length: 290 pages
“A page-turner of a mystery from one of my favorite authors. Cohen’s deft mastery of the cozy genre shines through in every scene, delighting readers with another engrossing whodunit.” Muddy Rose Reviews “Fans of award-winning author Nancy J. Cohen’s long-running Bad Hair Day Mysteries will be thrilled to learn there’s a new sleuth in town. Murder Pays a Call is the debut book in her Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery Series featuring a personal concierge who adds solving murders to the services she offers her clients.” – Lois Winston, author of the bestselling and award-winning Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.Personal concierge Keri Armstrong will accept almost any job, but solving murders wasn’t on her to-do list—until now.
When personal concierge Keri Armstrong swings by her favorite client’s mansion to drop off groceries, she expects a heartfelt chat along with a cup of tea—not Fiona Sullivan dead in bed and her room ransacked. Though police chalk it up to a botched robbery, Keri isn’t so sure. Whispers around town suggest Fiona wasn’t as adored as Keri had believed, and many of the philanthropist’s so-called friends in affluent Sunny Grove, Florida seem glad she’s gone.
Keri refuses to let Fiona’s memory be reduced to malicious gossip. Armed with a keen eye, insider access, and a fully charged tablet, she sets out to uncover the truth. Soon her file of suspects grows faster than her to-do list. Between sneaky neighbors, resentful relatives, and tight-lipped charity board members, Fiona left behind a trail of frenemies who’d happily skip her memorial brunch.
As Keri digs deeper, she discovers her late mentor had a gift for extracting people’s secrets and using them like fine china—carefully storing them until they could serve a purpose. But Fiona also kept a few skeletons in her own walk-in closet. Now, with danger creeping closer, Keri must race to crack the case before her number comes up next… and Murder Pays a Call.
About Nancy J. Cohen
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail and the Keri Armstrong cozy mysteries. Her books have won numerous awards including her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook. Active in the writing community, Nancy is a past president of Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.
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